Tommy Rowlands, Joe Heskett Win Silver Medals at Pan American Games – Ohio State Buckeyes
7/30/2007 12:00:00 AM | General, Wrestling
COLUMBUS, Ohio Ohio State wrestling assistant coaches and first-time U.S. World Team members Tommy Rowlands and Joe Heskett each won silver medals at the 2007 Pan American Games at the Riocentro Sports Complex in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Heskett and Rowlands competed in the two-day freestyle event that ran from July 27-28.
Up next for the duo is the 2007 World Wrestling Championships Sept. 17-23 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
Rowlands competed first Friday at 120 kg/264.5 pounds and defeated Gustavo Gattareo of Argentina, 7-0, 7-0, and Arjan Bhullar of Canada, 1-0, 1-0, to advance to the finals. It was in the championship match Rowlands faced past world champion Alexis Rodriguez of Cuba and dropped a 2-1, 3-0, decision.
En route to the finals Saturday, Heskett, the OSU volunteer assistant coach, beat Maximo Blanco of Venezuela, 1-0, 2-0, and Matt Gentry of Canada, 1-3, 3-0, 2-0. In the championship bout, Heskett met Cuba’s Ivan Fundora, a 2004 Olympic bronze medalist, and lost, 5-0, 3-1.
Overall, the U.S. Wrestling Team finished with 17 medals in both the men and women’s freestyle and Greco-Roman competitions. The U.S. medaled in every weight class entered at the Pan American Games.
2007 Pan American Games – Freestyle Wrestling Match by Match Results
55 kg/121 lbs. Henry Cejudo, Colorado Springs, Colo. (Sunkist Kids) 1st
WIN Fredy Serrano (Colombia) 2-1, 3-0
WIN Vinicius Pedrosa (Brazil) 3-0, 6-0
WIN Andy Moreno (Cuba) 1-0, 3-3
66 kg/145.5 lbs. Doug Schwab, Iowa City, Iowa (Gator WC) 3rd
WIN Cleopas Ncube (Canada) 3-2, 2-2, 1-0
LOSS Geandry Garzon (Cuba) 0-7, 2-3
WIN Ricardo Roberty (Venezuela) 4-3, 1-1, 1-0
84 kg/185 lbs. Andy Hrovat, Ann Arbor, Mich. (New York AC) 2nd
WIN Jesus Gonzalez (Venezuela) fall
WIN Roerlandy Zuniga (Cuba) 8-6, 5-0
LOSS Roozbah Banihashemi (Canada) 0-1, 1-0, 3-3
120 kg/264.5 lbs. Tommy Rowlands, Columbus, Ohio (Sunkist Kids) 2nd
WIN Gustavo Gattareo (Argentina) 7-0, 7-0
WIN Arjan Bhullar (Canada) 1-0, 1-0
LOSS Alexis Rodriguez (Cuba) 1-2, 0-3
60 kg/132 lbs. Mike Zadick, Solon, Iowa (Gator WC) 2nd
WIN Antonio Gonzalez (Panama) 6-0, 7-0
WIN Ivan Duque (Colombia) 4-0, 1-0
WIN Aldo Parimango (Peru) 1-0, 3-0
LOSS Yandro Quintana (Cuba) 3-0, 1-0
74 kg/163 lbs. Joe Heskett, Columbus, Ohio (Gator WC) 2nd
WIN Maximo Blanco (Venezuela) 1-0, 2-0
WIN Matt Gentry (Canada) 1-3, 3-0, 2-0
LOSS Ivan Fundora (Cuba) 5-0, 3-1
96 kg/211.5 lbs. Daniel Cormier, Stillwater, Okla. (Gator WC) 3rd
LOSS Michel Batista (Cuba) fall 5:23
WIN Arnulfo Hernandez (Colombia) 3-0, 7-0
